It all started with an Instagram post. When one of our beauty editors snapped a picture of a new foundation collection and posted it to Glamour's feed, a heated conversation unfolded in the comments section: Followers wanted to know why the brand pictured, like many others, carried a dozen-plus light-to- medium shades but just a handful of dark ones. And @qu33njustine added: "Not only do I as a black woman have less options but I often have to buy two shades and mix them...to get a match. Still fighting the ashy look in this multicultural world is absurd!" The whole exchange got us thinking—does the makeup counter in 2014 accurately reflect what America looks like now?

Meet today's all-American woman

First let's look at the facts: The U.S. census reports that the number of mixed-race people grew 32 percent from 2000 to 2010; the number of Latinos rose by 43 percent, as did that of Asians (now the country's fastest-growing racial group). By 2050, people of color are predicted to represent 54 percent of the American population. While the melting-pot thing is awesome (and I write this as the first-generation American daughter of African immigrants), the abun- dance of skin tones presents a challenge for beauty companies that make foundation. There are signs that some things are looking up. Big, all-American beauty brands are now celebrating diversity: Janelle Monáe, Sofia Vergara, and Becky G are three of CoverGirl's newest spokesmodels. Estée Lauder has models Joan Smalls from Puerto Rico and Liu Wen from China.

It's a start, but "there are still holes in the market," says makeup artist AJ Crimson, who has worked with Fergie and Estelle. "I can think of only a few brands—MAC, Bobbi Brown, Make Up For Ever—that offer a full range where any girl can find something that works for her." After poring over hundreds of foun- dations in the Glamour beauty closet, we noticed several shades that didn't quite look like real skin; dark tones lacked depth, pale shades appeared gray. And when we polled 1,000 women on glamour .com, 30 percent said they're never able to find their exact shade. Never.

"People think dark skin is the toughest, but one of the hardest skin tones I ever had to match was Alicia Keys', a warm medium tone," says makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff, who also counts Jordin Sparks and Amber Riley as clients. "For years I tried different foundations. They'd be too ashy or too pink." (She finally found Keys' match in NARS Sheer Matte Foundation in Tahoe.) Sometimes, determining the correct shade is only half the battle—you have to be able to find it in the store too. "A brand may make a broad selection of foundation, but a store may choose a smaller number of shades," says Jodie Patterson, cofounder of Doobop, a new multicultural beauty e-retailer. "In the end, those select colors get discontin- ued because they ultimately don't match enough women." Hey, beauty companies, we think this is a huge opportunity. A little help here, please! What do we do in the meantime? Well, take a look at the tips below.

We're not insisting that you blow your life savings on makeup. But if you have hard-to-match skin, the odds of getting your perfect shade are better if you spend a bit more. In general, according to research firm NPD Group, the best-selling lines at department or specialty stores offer more shades than do drugstore best-sellers. MAC Studio Fix Foundation has the most generous range—40 shades. That's more than double the average of what top drugstore lines offer, with the notable exception of L'Oréal Paris True Match, which has 33.

Those stores have another advantage: "Buying from a counter allows you to test more," explains makeup artist Nick Barose, who works with Lupita Nyong'o. Makeup artist Mai Quynh adds, "Hav- ing an artist help you pick out a color is definitely [another] benefit." But don't write off the drugstore yet: Mass brands have acknowledged their challenges and are reworking their lines (see a couple of our favorites, at right).

Foundation's new frontier

Technology is also making the matching process easier. For a quick swatch test, check out the Sephora +Pantone Color IQ tool, which uses a handheld device to take pictures of your skin. Your complexion is assigned a Pantone number, and an iPad app generates a list of matching founda-tions available in Sephora stores and online. (When the Glamour beauty team tried it, the editor with dark skin got 27 recommendations—not bad!— but those with fair-to-medium skin tones had far more choices, about double that number.) Plum Perfect, an iPhone app, analyzes selfies and spits out product picks based on coloring. Then there's Doobop: Its consultation tool includes options to cover every shade, from pale like Lucy Liu's to very dark like Venus Williams'.

All these smart, outside-the-box moves are making great strides for the beauty industry—and we love that. But there's still plenty of room to grow, as Sheriff points out: "Every woman wants her shade in one bottle or one product. Why wouldn't they? It should be that simple.